85 Apps Both Parents and Kids Will Love

Posted on Fri, 03/09/2012 - 5:49am

Do you worry that your kiddos are more familiar with Angry Birds than with their multiplication times tables? Chances are you're just like us—guilty of throwing your kids in front of the iPod or iPad just so you can secure a few minutes to finish up that nagging work project or make a couple of phone calls. While Angry Birds will always be one of our favorite apps, there are plenty of apps out there (educational ones, too) that will diminish your feelings of guilt for pawning your kids off on these sweet devices. So in the spirit of spreading the app love, here is our list of our favorite 85 apps for kids and parents.

1. Cut the RopeAge rating: 4+ | Price: $1.99Oh, what a cute story this game presents! An adorable green monster arrives by mail and it’s up to your kids to cut a series of ropes (negotiating the laws of physics and gravity) to feed it candy. The graphics are perfect, the music and sound effects are appealing, and the game play is very challenging. What more could you ask for?

2. Angry BirdsAge rating: 4+ | Price: $0.99Another silly story line that we just can’t help loving. Evil green pigs have stolen these birds’ eggs and are now hiding out in their castles. It’s up to your kids to wreak revenge on the pigs using (of course!) little red, black, blue, and yellow birds and a giant sling shot. Huh? Different birds have different powers. Some are bombs. Some are speed birds. Some multiply mid-flight. We’ve lost hours and hours of our lives to this game at our house. Addictive doesn’t even begin to cover it.

3. Fruit NinjaAge rating: 4+ | Price: $0.99Using their finger as a blade, kids swipe various pieces of fruit that fly up in the air, chopping them in half. In classic mode, they also have to avoid the bombs. This game is fun, easy, and very hard to put down. We like the fact that you get all the action with none of the violence. If your kids are the stress-y type, have them play in Zen mode.

4. Soosiz HDAge rating: 4+ | Price: $1.99This awkwardly named app is a really, really fun platform game for the iPad with eye-popping cartoon graphics. What’s a platform game? A game in which you jump from platform to platform and over obstacles. In this one, your kids are a cute citrus-y character whose planet has been attacked by spiky bad guys. Bummer. The object of the game is to save the world. Naturally, this is easier said than done.

5. Doodle JumpAge rating: 5+ | Price: $0.99The most downloaded iPhone app of all time is even better on the iPad—get ready to jump and jump and jump again in this insanely addictive game. Tilt the iPad left and right to jump from platform to platform. You can also get a boost from jetpacks, propeller beanies, and springs, but watch out for monsters!

6. ChuzzleAge rating: 4+ | Price: $2.99A fun, addictive and appropriate for all ages. Kids slide google-eyed chuzzles across the iPhone screen trying to group 3 like-colored chuzzles together. When they do, the chuzzles explode with a giggle, sending fur and eyeballs flying. We've played this game on the PC, the iPhone, and the iPad and the iPad is head and shoulders above the rest. Admittedly, we've lost hours of our lives to it.

7. Pac-Man for iPadAge rating: 4+ | Price: $4.99A fun vintage video game app that parents can play with their kids. It’s a toss up who will have more fun, but we like the idea of it being an app for the whole family. The joystick takes a bit getting used to, but didn’t the original the first time you held it? All the same ghosts and cherries are here to keep you going…

8. BookwormAge rating: 4+ | Price: $2.99An intuitive, educational word search game for new readers, rabid wordsmiths, and everyone in between. Younger kids may need a little help, but they’ll soon be hooked too. Link letters left, right, up, and down on your iPhone screen to build words and earn points with this fun app. Make too many short words and you get burning tiles, which can literally blow up in your face.

9. Scrabble for iPadAge rating: 5+ | Price: $9.99There is no question that Scrabble is one of the best iPad apps—it’s leagues better than the regular iPhone Scrabble app. The older app is kind of hazy on the iPad. We tried them both and Scrabble for iPad feels so much more dynamic. It’s got a high price, but for frequent players, bringing the iPad to a friend’s house will quickly replace bringing the box. There’s even a free companion app for the iPhone called Tile Rack that lets you use your phone as a tile rack for group play—awesome!